Tag Archives: Changes

First in a new series designed to encourage more girls into the sport of surfing this kicks off in a very promising manner. Ava’s parents have decided on a sea change which means that Ava is leaving behind her big city life, school, friends and her usual holiday sport of snow- boarding. She is definitely not a happy camper when she starts at her new high school but her interest is piqued when a new sport is added to the students’ choices. Though the other students are used to beach life learning from scratch basically puts Ava on a reasonably level par with many and perhaps her snow-boarding experience might just be helpful.

Along the way during their first term of surfing Ava and four other girls form some friendship bonds and create the Surf Riders Club to support each other in their progress. Essentially this is not just a series for Mighty Girls to try out something new but also one that demonstrates how a circle of friendship can be something of critical importance for young girls (indeed any age girls!).

Endorsed by Surfing Australia and with a special message from Tyler Wright 2016 Women’s World Surfing Champion, this should prove to be a very popular read for your girls from around ten-fourteen years.

Having a really bad first day at a new school and mother/daughter conflicts are nothing new but this new graphic novel for younger readers presents these in a completely fresh style.

Readers who enjoy cartoons of the Adventure Time ilk will really get into the comic style of the graphics as well as the strangeness of Opposite Land. Steve has a terrible argument with her mum and storms off into her room with some stupid book that was her grandfather’s. It’s so ridiculous you can’t even read the writing in it. That is, until she happens to let it fall in front of the mirror and realises that the writing is all reversed.

As soon as she starts to read the words aloud Stevie is weirdly transported to Opposite Land where indeed everything is opposite!

Where socks wear feet,

Broccoli is meat,

Behind is ahead, and people

Poop from their head!

But that’s not the real problem with this crazy place. The country and its people are all in real danger from Emperor Never who took over when the last of the princesses disappeared. Now the Opposites believe that Stevie is that princess and she needs to save them. Will Stevie be able to help and get back to her own land?

And more importantly, will her experience help her to sort things out with her mum and the new school?